More floods expected after water inundates Midwest

U.S. weather officials on Thursday predicted unprecedented flooding this spring throughout the country as the Midwest responds to already record water levels. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson declared a state of emergency on Thursday. “The rising floodwaters are affecting more Missouri communities and farms, closing more roads and threatening levees, water treatment plants, and other critical infrastructure,” Parson said in a statement. The Missouri River swelled from this month’s heavy rains and snowmelt and is expected to crest Friday in St. Joseph, Mo., at the third-highest flood level on record. Flooding has causes several deaths, damaged thousands of homes, and broken about 20 levees in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri.

Also Thursday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds added nine counties to the state flash flooding disaster proclamation. She has asked President Donald Trump to expedite federal aid. Trump on Thursday approved disaster assistance for Nebraska, where the state emergency management agency estimated damage from the floods could cost more than $640 million.

Water has covered thousands of acres, threatening stockpiled grain and killing livestock, but experts expect more flooding with high rainfall predicted across the United States in coming months. More than 200 million Americans are in areas at risk of flooding, with 13 million facing possible major inundation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.